I joined the site on January 16, and weighed 213. When I started my journey on Dec 28, I weighed 219. On January 29 I weighed 208. I weighed myself this morning and I am back to 212. The only change I have made is I bought an exercise bike and I ride 20 minutes after dinner. My calories are 1500-1800 a day. I simply do not understand how I can be gaining weight! I am 46 y/o male 6' 0" tall. My carbs are now around 45%, fat at 35% and protein at 19%. I drink about 10 8 oz glasses of water per day. What could be causing me to gain weight?

Three years ago my wife and I did weight watchers. Same calorie level, only all I did then was walk a mile at lunch, and a mile after dinner. I lost 25 lbs in 2 months. So here I am exercising way more and gaining weight. It defies logic. Any clues as to why? Do I need to visit my doctor and see if I have an underlying health issue that is causing this?

Honestly...? It's 4 lbs. Your weight can fluctuate that much in one day - don't rely totally on your scale and that number.

Do you regularly take tape measurements? Your body could be getting smaller and not show much change on the scale.

All that said, if you aren't seeing weight/size reductions after a while, you're going to need to do some tweaking. Do you weigh and measure your food? Are you certain your calories are where you think they are? Are you eating breakfast? Do you get any weight-bearing exercise (such as walking)?

You'll need to change things up and find what works for you. But I'd recommend that you use other ways to measure your success and progress than just the number on the scale. Sometimes it lies.

Yes, I do weight bearing exercises. I do circuit training in the morning, and on the days it doesn't rain I walk a mile after lunch. I don't take measurements, but rather rely on how my clothes fit. There has been no change in that either. I am at the point of thinking either there is a medical reason, or perhaps I am doing too much for the amount of calories I am consuming. I told my wife this morning that I am going to cut out the morning exercise and instead just do the walking/biking and see if I get any changes. It is really frustrating to change your eating and exercise habits to only net a 1 lb loss in almost 30 days! I feel like Melissa from BL!

i agree on not trusting them scales..........
i fluctuate as much as 4pounds a day. also if you suffer from constipation like many dieter this 4pounds could be 6! so take measures or even judge friends or partners compliments! i was 166 last novemberr and joined fit day at 159 and am now 152 and so much happier, but saying this i thought by loosing ,to me what seems loads, i have only dropped one dress size!

Also make sure you weigh in at the same time each time wearing the same thing (or better yet - wearing nothing!), preferably in the morning before you eat or drink anything. Your weight can and does fluctuate hugely during the day, which is why it is best to weigh in the morning.

Are you incorporating any weight training with your circuit workouts? If so it could be muscle you are putting on instead of adding the fat. You are 6 feet tall so maybe your protein needs to be upped keep the carb intake and lower the fat. Don't trust everything I say though, these are not scientific. What kind of carbs are you eating? Do not change the morning workouts. It's actually better for you than working out after dinner. This is the best site I've been to that may help with your weight mystery: Military Fitness Center - Military.com

My carbs consist of wheat bread/pasta and nuts like almonds and peanuts. My protein is lean meats (chicken, turkey, tuna) and vegetables like broccoli, green beans, carrots and peas. When I eat a salad I use romain and have celery, cucumbers and tomatoes, almond slices and oil/vinegar low fat dressing.

checking with the doctor is never a bad idea - I would not give up any of the exercising you are doing. If your calorie/activity balance is out too much, add a bit to your calorie count. Exercising is soooo good for you and has move benefits then just the weight loss - so please visit the doctor, get his/her opinion but keep on moving in the meantime. I agree you should feel/see some difference by now but I also think the tape measure is a much better friend then the scale - they are so inaccurate. Have you ever stepped on, gotten your weight, stepped back off and on again and it is totally different

The only other thing I can think of is that maybe stress is helping you hold on to your pounds? (if you're not stressed, you don't need to keep reading ).

However, stress releases cortisol, a hormone that affects weight. It can make you gain or make you maintain even when trying to lose. Even worrying about why you're not losing might be enough to trigger it.

How about adding some yoga to your routine?

Just brainstorming...not intending to get into your personal stress level here...

Looking forward to the post when you tell us you've broken through; good luck!

No worries. I'm open to any and all ideas at this point. Unlike other people, my weight gain was fast. 60lbs in 6 months. Not sure why, but it was fast. I've been carrying it around for the last 10 years, and decided to lose it. I don't think it wants to go home!